Staff at Inverurie Garden Centre have been left “deeply saddened” after thieves made away with over £200 worth of Jellycat merchandise.
Management at the Aberdeenshire business have been forced to report three visitors to the police amid allegations they made off with a haul of the popular stuffed toys.
The items are said to have been stolen from the shop at about 4pm on Tuesday.
An image captured on CCTV , and seen by The Press and Journal, appears to show the trio with the stolen items within the garden centre’s gift shop.
Over £200 of the collectable toys – eight separate toys, including stuffed animals and key charms – are said to have been taken.
And sadly for the business the shoplifting incident is far from the first of its kind, with the garden centre – and the Jellycat products in particular – targeted before.
The thefts have forced the family-run business to deploy extra security measures “to protect staff” at the store.
Speaking to The P&J, garden centre manager Mairi McLaughlan said: “As an independent family run business, it deeply saddens us to be targeted by shoplifters.
“The knock-on effect this has is extensive, primarily having to implement additional security measures to protect our staff and stock.
“We are proud to be part of a supportive local community and we appreciate the importance of raising awareness to try and deter any further crime being committed.
“An investigation by Police Scotland is underway, with an appeal launched to trace them.”
Public urged to report any sign of stolen Inverurie Jellycats
In the meantime, Inverurie Garden Centre management have urged people to be on the lookout for the stolen Jellycats.
A statement, published online by the Garden Centre, reads: “At 4pm this afternoon, (March 4) three people entered our shop and stole eight of our lovely Jellycats.
“The footage will be sent to the police.
“But this is a warning for other local businesses to keep an eye out for them, and to members of the public.
“Please don’t buy from them and if you do see any of the Jellycats for sale anywhere, we’d love to know.
“If anyone recognises them, we’d love to know that too.”
Police Scotland have been approached for comment.
What are Jellycats?
Jellycats are collectable stuffed toys made by the London company of the same name.
Popular with both children and adults, the toys come in various forms and depict a wide range of whimsical characters and even foodstuffs.
Charms, bags and even books are sold by the brand in addition to their soft toy range.
The brand has exploded in popularity over recent years due to their popularity on social media website such as TikTok.
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